Major Surfing
by 001ElvenWarrior
Summary: Major Sheppard and Lieutenant Ford travel to the coast to take some much needed vacation: surfing. The waves are high, but why haven’t the Ancients documented anything on the Mainland or in the sea?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlanits - just my own plot (providing there is one).

**Major Surfing**

Summary: Major John Sheppard and Lieutenant Aiden Ford travel to the coast to take some much needed vacation: surfing. The waves are high, but why haven't the Ancients documented anything on the Mainland or in the sea?

"_I saw some sweet waves…I think there's surfing in our future."  
_"_Well that was after we checked for monsters, and bugs, and other space related things."_

* * *

Major John Sheppard had the biggest grin on his face, and the looks his team was giving him only made it wider. 

"Come on, no time to waste!" The garb they wore was no different from what they wore on every other mission, with one exception: they were carrying an extra bag each, filled with suitable swimming gear. John Sheppard finished placing his prized surfboard in the puddle jumper, reflecting just how quickly he had gotten used to living in an alien galaxy. "Let's go!"

It was a record time that took the puddle jumper from Atlantis to the mainland, only 20 minutes, since Sheppard sought out just how fast the puddle jumper could go. It could go pretty fast, and he was forced to slow down so they could see the waves that pounded the beach.

"That looks like a good spot," he muttered more to himself, than anyone.

"Yeah, if you're looking to break a neck." McKay's less than thrilled voice at this adventure forced a retort from John.

"That's why it's fun, Rodney. Besides, we all need to get out and enjoy a vacation." Teyla and Aiden merely nodded, the former with a nervous grin, the latter acquiring an eager twitch.

"Besides, you don't need to surf, we've only got one surfboard." Ford's voice faltered at the end, when this realization hit. He glanced at John, realizing that he would more or less have to wait for his turn.

"Yeah, so while one of us is surfing, the others can bodysurf."

"Oh puh-lease, you even think I'm going into that water? Who knows what microscopic bacterial organisms even live in it!"

"I am sure, Rodney, that it is safe. Dr. Beckett did not caution us beyond then that we stay as a group. I do not believe sharks patrol these waters." McKay, already determined not to get in the water, now refused to budge from his seat, even after the puddle jumper had been set down in the sand.

"Oh Rodney, quit your complaining. Besides, what can go wrong?" John's enthusiasm quickly caught, now that they were on the beach. "Let's all get changed!" With that, John tore off his shirt and pants, revealing a pair of shorts in their place. Running to where the water lapped the sand, he stopped and peered into the water.

"What is it, major?" Teyla's voice brought him back to reality.

"It's so..."

"So, what?"

"So, exhilarating." Suddenly John turned back to the puddle jumper, seeing a young and energetic Aiden getting the Surfboard. "Lieutenant! Pass the surfboard!" With a grin, John waited as Ford grudgingly gave him the board.

"After you, sir." John happily obliged, leaping into the water and giving off a startled yelp that drew the attention of everyone else. "It's cold."

A little while passed before Rodney too, appeared on the beach. He wore a shirt and a pair of shorts – a rarity in that Rodney never wore them. Ford called out for Rodney to join them, but the scientist had already made up his astrophysicist mind. That was before John, riding a particularly large wave a way off in the water, let out a yelp as he slid off his board and was sucked into the water.

"At least some of us are enjoying ourselves." Muttered a stoic Rodney, his eyes though, had never left the spot of where John disappeared. The surfboard popped up to the surface, but no John Sheppard. "Um, did anyone see John swim off?"

That got Teyla's and Ford's attention. They looked to where they had seen John last: riding the wave. The wave was breaking, but the surfboard sat placidly where it was, despite the waves that broke over it.

"John!" "Major Sheppard!" "Major!" All three voices yelled out in unison, when John had yet to reappear. A sudden splash sent a wave towards Teyla and Ford, and they watched in awe as Rodney McKay, the anti-water, anti-physical exertion scientist, swam for all he was worth over to where he had last seen Major Sheppard.

He dove under the water, wincing as he opened his eyes and the salt water stung. He couldn't see anything but blurs, dark blurs. He went up again for air, then back down, looking in vain for any thing that might be a body.

Something brushed up against him, and Rodney lost nearly all of the air he held in his mouth. He turned to find a giant jellyfish calmly floating past. Frantically, he avoided the 8 foot long tentacles, grabbed another breath of air, and then looked once more for John. His eyes couldn't take much more of the punishment from the saltwater, and the objects that had begun to become clear, once more resumed to blurry objects. That was before something grabbed his leg and pulled him down. He yanked furiously, thinking only of sharks, despite the fact that what had closed around his ankle had not yet begun "biting" him.

He was nearly out of air, when whatever it was, had let go, and Rodney swam frantically up to the surface, gasping for air. Teyla and Ford had swum over to see what was going on, and without a moment's hesitation, Teyla dove down at the same time as Ford.

They reappeared, hauling something up, and Rodney was relieved and petrified that it was John Sheppard.

"Let's get him onto shore!" cried Teyla over the sound of the waves. Rather than waste their breath in replying, Rodney and Ford turned John onto his back in the waves, and then set to work in trying to pull him back to the beach. Suddenly Ford stopped and, swimming out a short ways, returned with the surfboard. They managed to get John up on the surfboard, his limp body making Rodney even more nervous despite the physical exertion, and strengthened his resolve to tow the surfboard and body all the way back to shore. They finally arrived, the current having dragged them further out than they had intended to go.

Quickly but gently, the hauled the surfboard onto the sand, setting it down. John began to cough up water, and Teyla quickly turned him onto his side.

"What can go wrong, indeed, Major?"

"Funny, Rodney," the major gasped out between gulps of air. "How's my leg?" All three looked down at Sheppard's leg, seeing red welts all around it. A little further down, by his ankle, there was some blood. Ford wasted no time in grabbing a first aid kit from the jumper.

"Just hold still, sir," he offered, before cleaning off the blood and revealing the teeth marks of some type of predator. John winced as the bandage was applied.

"Okay, help me up." He had recovered from spewing water like a fountain, but it was soon assessed that John was unable to walk, since every time he put weight on his leg it buckled. He was forced to being nearly carried between Rodney and Ford, while Teyla headed back to the jumper.

"Alright, time to go." Rodney darted worried looks at John's pale face, but John muttered something about a worried scientist, and Rodney retorted back something about idiotic surfers, before he (Rodney) climbed into the seat of the puddle jumper.

He powered up, and while the flight was not as smooth as it had been on their trip out, they got back to Atlantis in one piece. The moment they were in range of the radios, McKay called in for a medical team to the jumper bay. He glanced back and got a sharp word from both Teyla and Ford as he nearly clipped one edge of the jumper against a wall. "Sorry," he muttered, before bringing the jumper to a complete halt.

* * *

The medical team was already there, as was Dr. Carson who very much resembled a thundercloud. When he saw the injury to John Sheppard's leg, he merely glared at the three with a look that meant 'follow me' and then set to work on hauling John to the infirmary. 

They weren't there long when Dr. Weir showed up, her expression anxious and nervous, even as Dr. Carson began to answer her unasked question.

"He'll be alright, though he's got a nasty shark bite on his ankle and a painfully large jellyfish mark on his leg. You're all pretty lucky not to have encountered any more of those sea monsters." All three looked at John, who lay stoically on the infirmary bed, his ankle wrapped and his leg swollen. Concerned, Carson went over to check out his all too familiar patient. "What's wrong, Major? Usually by now you're complaining about staring up at the ceiling."

John's silence only made the doctor more concerned. Carson pulled out his penlight and trained its beacon of light onto the major's eyes, looking for any dilation.

"John, if you can hear me, move a finger, or blink your eyes." Carson and everyone else peered at the motionless major, who managed, just once, to blink his eyes. "Can you move?" John's eyes moved side to side, in a kind of "no". "Hmm, temporary paralysis, interesting side-effect. Nurse, get some more sedative and anti-venom into his IV." The nurse did as she was bid.

The eyes relaxed and Carson patted the arm of his patient. "Poor lad." That was before a sudden glimmer entered his eyes. All four of the onlookers took a sudden step back from the now grinning Carson. "Perhaps this won't be so bad – now you can't escape from me." Carson could have sworn that John had glared at him beneath half-closed eyes, but then, that was John when he was in the infirmary.

John was very much alert and could feel his leg shooting blasts of hot pain up through his thigh, side, and into his brain. It felt as though he were on fire, but the nurse had given him something for the pain and a short while later, he wasn't too bad off. Except that he was paralyzed in the infirmary. With Dr. Carson. A **happy** Dr. Carson. He let out a small sigh, glad that at least he didn't need to use a ventilator. He couldn't move, but he could breath – that at least was something to be thankful about.

Perhaps it was just as well, seeing that he would have been on crutches or a wheelchair with his leg as swollen as it was. Now, however, he was ready for sleep. The moment he closed his eyes, he could feel a tendril snagging about his ankle, jerking him off the surfboard and down, down, down, into the icy cold depths of the sea. He awoke with a gasp and the fiery pain in his leg awoke. He would have jerked but for the temporary paralysis that had settled over his body like a cast.

He tried calling to Beckett, but the doctor was nowhere in sight and John's voice was barely above a whisper. He tried anyway, and was startled to find someone enter his view. Elizabeth had been sitting just a few feet from him, and she realized John was awake.

"Hey John, how are you feeling?" John couldn't respond but for a whispered "pain," but Elizabeth had already disappeared beyond his sight. He strained his ears and heard two pairs of steps coming towards him, followed by Carson's bright and cheery face appearing over his own.

"I bet ye be wanting some more painkiller about now." Carson stepped out of view, but a few moments later, John could feel the comfort of no pain once more settling over him. He tried a smile, but his face was still in the temporarily paralyzed state.

"Carson, how long is this temporary paralysis supposed to last?" John could have hugged Weir at that moment, for asking the question he himself couldn't ask.

"Aye, well, it's hard to tell. It seems that Major Sheppard has had a bit of a run in with a large jellyfish. I've analyzed his blood...I don't really know. I don't believe it's permanent, but I'm not entirely sure of how long it will last. I'd say a week at most."

"A week?" Elizabeth was not a happy camper. "Can't you do something to, oh I don't know, hurry the healing process?"

"Lass, I'm sorry, it's the best I can do – and I'm not entirely sure that trying to rush it is the right thing. Perhaps that's how the body can best heal itself, staying in one place so that it can neither get hurt again, nor be used too prematurely." Regret entered Carson's voice, and John knew without looking that the Scot was looking down at his feet.

* * *

A/N: The first quote may not be entirely accurate, since its been a while since I've watched that episode (I think it was episode 2 or 3 in Season 1). Anyway, look for chapter two: coming soon! And it would be a great incentive if you just pushed that lonely button and left me a Review! Thanks . 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own SGA…which is good because it would take me forever to come up with a good storyline.

A/N: I apologize for the lengthy delay...especially to those who've been patiently waiting:

Major Surfing – Part 2

Despair threatened to overwhelm John at that point; the belief that he would be stuck the way he was for a week or more was terrifying nonetheless. Even though he was and would be surrounded by friends and companions there was nothing he hated more than being useless. If he could at least talk to people or make some kind of movement to alert them to his condition he might have a chance.

"Carson, are you sure there is nothing more you can do for him?" The Scott shook his head.

"I'm doing the only thing I can – and that's prescribing him anti-venom and painkillers. Trust me, I'd love to do something more, but the venom is weakening his body's immune system, however slight it may seem." Carson ran a hand through his hair, looking tired and a little agitated. "I hate to say this, but…"

"But you need me to leave so you can concentrate on making John better." Dr Weir's face once more reappeared over John's as she smiled down at him. "Get better soon, John…if you don't, there may not be surfing in your future."

As if that was the last thing he needed to be told, he was acutely aware that paralyzed persons were unable to surfboard. Talk about a nightmare…speaking of which, he wondered what it was that had pulled him down into the depths of the ocean.

One minute he had been calmly surfing, enjoying the spectacular view, and the next, he'd slipped and felt something tighten around his ankle. That was before Teyla and Aiden had seized him and dragged him up to the surface, where they had inadvertently exposed his legs to the monstrous jellyfish he had had the pleasure of seeing. He had also been half-drowned thanks to whatever had pulled him down.

He closed his eyes – about the only thing he could do right now – and decided to get some rest. His eyes hurt from staring up at the lights and a subconscious thought resounded that the nurses should decorate the ceiling. Tiles were only so much fun to count after so many times.

Carson glanced over at John periodically to see how his immobilized patient was doing. It was only a distant thought that seemed to note how much more relaxed he was, than when John was trying his escapes. His latest escapade had earned him a few jokes about how he ever made it home from a mission. However, when Dr Weir had heard of this, she had immediately ceased the jokes with firm disciplinary action if required. Needless to say, everyone had quit joking about that particular topic.

"So, major, how are we feeling now? Any pain? Nausea? Discomfort?" Carson paused after each question, trying to gauge the emotions reflected in Sheppard's eyes. He hadn't realized all that the major hid until the man was rendered immobile. "You've gotten yourself into a bit of a bind, lad, that's all I can say." Carson spoke as he gave the major more painkillers.

John had lain there quietly, working out how to move each digit despite the temporary paralysis. He wasn't going to subject himself to the blood tests that Carson would subject him to.

"Uh, major?" This voice was different, and Rodney's face quickly appeared over John. "I've found a bit of good news just a few moments ago." The astrophysicist paused, then seeming to remember that the major couldn't speak, continued. "Anyway, the Ancients haven't documented anything about the water in particular, but they do reference it a little in their notes. It's quite interesting really, because it seems that-" A perturbed look from John set the physicist straight.

"Right, um, anyway, the Ancients had their own way of dealing with water supply – hence the ocean – and they did reference the water. The creatures, according to the documents we've translated, on land were nothing to be feared. The ones that live in the middle of the continent are, of course, more voracious than say the more docile creatures along the coast. Anyway, the water was said to contain creatures that no one had seen for thousands of years. One of the Ancients tried to copy a picture of sorts into the program of Atlantis, and here it is."

A rolled sheet of paper appeared in Rodney's hand, and John smiled – or would have had he not been stung by the huge jellyfish. Rodney paused for a moment, then began to unroll it. On the paper, was…John had to contain the urge to scream for a mental scream. It was none other than a giant jellyfish! Duh, he had already known that.

"Don't roll you're eyes at me, mister immobile surfer dude, I'm the one who saved your scrawny butt. Anyway, that's just one of the creatures. The other one," and here Rodney turned the paper over, caused John to scream mentally – again. This one was nothing like a jellyfish, but instead seemed more like a type of sting ray. "It is a type of sea-dweller that has large tentacles that protrude from its tail. Apparently, if the picture is correct, the two tentacles latch around an object or its prey, and bring it to its mouth to feed. Apparently, due to the abrasions and contusions on your ankle, this thing…tried to eat you."

Here, Rodney smirked. "Guess it didn't like that Ancient flavor of no deodorant."

The glare John sent Rodney was enough to make the scientist take a step back. But then realizing John's predicament, at the same time John realized it, the grin had come back. This time it looked more menacing than happy.

"Ooh, think of all the tricks and pranks I could pull, major. And you'd be helpless to make it stop…or not." The glare had gotten blacker, if that was possible, and Rodney decided it was safer to leave. But not before he tacked up the picture of the creature above John's bed. "For decorative purposes only," he had assured the nervous major.

Needless to say, John wasn't exactly thrilled. When he had thought of decorating the ceiling tiles, he hadn't exactly been thinking of posting up a picture of whatever it was that had almost eaten him. Sharks were bad enough, but meat-eating stingrays weren't reassuring either.

He closed his eyes, battling the demons that threatened to overwhelm him with doubt and what-ifs. There was nothing more for him to do, short of sleeping, and he didn't feel like looking up at the poster any more than he had to. All he wanted to do was get out of the infirmary and back onto his feet.

**A/N:** You all can thank AbeoUmbra for bringing this fanfic back to mind – even though it was just a matter of editing. Guess there might be one last part? I'm not exactly sure where this is going, so maybe it should just be a one-shot. Give me your ideas, and I'll try to cater. Escargot, anyone?


End file.
